Chandimandir toll plaza rates revised from Aug 31 midnight

The charges at the Chandimandir toll plaza on the Panchkula-Shimla road are going to be revised with effect from the midnight of August 31. The toll plaza became operational in April and the fist rate revision has come within five months.

The new rates that have been displayed at the toll plaza indicate that for cars and jeeps, people will now have to pay Rs 25 for one side against the earlier charges of Rs 23. For a round trip within 24 hours, the charges have been increased from Rs 34 to Rs 37. The monthly pass rate has been hiked from Rs 676 to Rs 737.

For light commercial vehicles, including taxis, the rate has been hiked from Rs 39 to Rs 43. For round trip, the rate has been increased to Rs 64 from Rs 59. The monthly pass rate for LCVs will now be Rs 1,289 against Rs 1,184 earlier.

Bus and truck drivers will now have to pay Rs 86 against Rs 79 earlier for single trip, Rs 129 for a roundtrip against the earlier charges of Rs 118. A monthly pass will now cost them Rs 2,579 in place of Rs 2,367 paid earlier.

Sources in National Highway Authority of India revealed that the rates would be increased every year based on the wholesale price index. The project of four laning the Zirakpur-Parwanoo stretch, which is a part of National Highway Development Project Phase-III, was awarded to Jaiprakash Associates (Himalyan Expressways Pvt Ltd) in 2007 under build operate transfer (BOT) scheme. It further gave the construction work to C and C Constructions.